Temperature
February has the warmest monthly average (20.3°C); August is coolest (14.3°C). These averages include nights, so daytime highs can be considerably warmer.
South Africa · Visit or make it home
Cape Town
Cape Town is a city in South Africa. Compare its dated local facts and monthly climate before choosing a time to visit or planning a move. Housing references and national earnings describe different populations; verify the costs of your own home and job before deciding.
Get to know Cape Town
A sense of the place
Cape Town is the legislative capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's second-largest city by population, after Johannesburg, and the largest city in the Western Cape. The city is part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality. The city is known for its harbour, its natural setting in the Cape Floristic Region, and for landmarks such as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Located on the shore of Table Bay, the City Bowl area of Cape Town, which contains its central business district , is the oldest urban area in the Western Cape, with a significant cultural heritage. The metropolitan area has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, which includes a northern section in the West Beach region, as well as the False Bay area in the south. The Table Mountain National Park is within the city boundaries and there are several other nature reserves and marine-protected areas within and adjacent to the city.
Weather through the year
When to visit Cape Town
Rain and outdoor plans
June averages about 91 mm of rain, compared with 9 mm in February. For an outdoor-focused trip, compare the drier months before choosing dates.
Planning time outdoors
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December combine monthly mean temperatures of 12–22°C with less than 100 mm of precipitation. These are useful dates to compare for a walking-focused visit; check daylight, opening times and the forecast for your actual trip.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average °C | 20.0 | 20.3 | 19.3 | 17.7 | 16.5 | 15.1 | 14.4 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 16.2 | 17.4 | 19.1 |
| Rain, mm | 14 | 9 | 17 | 37 | 51 | 91 | 81 | 76 | 40 | 31 | 30 | 12 |
Source: NASA POWER climatology · Reference period: 2001-2020. Long-term averages for the surrounding grid area. Conditions vary within a city; monthly averages are neither a forecast nor a guarantee of dry days.
Places around Cape Town
Build your shortlist for a day out. Distances are straight-line from the city centre; check routes and opening times before setting off.
Beach
Sunset Beach
4 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityBotanical garden
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
6.9 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityForest
Newlands Forest
5.3 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityPark
Company's Garden
Less than 1 km from the city centre
Compare with another cityAverage rent in Cape Town
What is the average rent in Cape Town?
A verified average rent for Cape Town is not available in the evidence shown here. Do not substitute another city’s price or a national estimate. Compare current properties for the same home size and neighbourhood, then include utilities, deposits and daily transport when building a budget for a visit or move.
Average salary in Cape Town
What is the average salary in Cape Town?
484.9 USD/month is the gross employee-pay reference dated 2020. It describes South Africa, not average salary in Cape Town. Gross pay is before deductions; household earnings depend on the household model. Use a current offer and your own tax circumstances for take-home budgeting.
Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · Reference date: 2020 · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)
How should I compare Cape Town with another city?
Compare the same dated measures for both cities, keeping local observations separate from national context. Start with rent, your expected income and the journeys you will make regularly. Then adjust the comparison weights to your priorities. Missing measurements do not prove an advantage; verify decisive costs and services with current local sources.
- Choose a comparison below and read its sources and dates.
- Set priorities for housing, work, transport and climate.
- Check current listings and your own income before making a decision.
Data sources, licences & reuse terms
Plan your stay
Budget and everyday decisions
A holiday budget
Compare accommodation for your actual dates in Cape Town, then add the journey here, airport transfers, meals and the activities you want. A cheap room outside the centre can cost more overall if it adds daily transport.
Compare holiday preferences →A relocation budget
Use the planner below to compare housing, daily spending and the cost of your move.
Include the deposit, utilities, internet and commuting. Compare those costs with your own expected take-home income.
Compare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
484.9 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2020. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Your relocation planning budget
Build a monthly budget for Cape Town in euros. Totals are calculated from the amounts below, not live quotes. Enter a housing amount for your chosen home.
Monthly total:
First month including move:
Compare with another city →Compare the details
Cape Town at a glance
Mean daily solar radiation
5.6 kWh/m²/day
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Annual precipitation
489 mm/year
Annual precipitation gives a broad climate comparison. Its distribution through the year matters more for a short visit.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Mean wind speed at 10 metres
6.3 m/s
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →City population
4,772,846 people
Population helps compare the scale of a destination. Administrative boundaries differ, so it is not always the population of the whole metropolitan area.
Data period: 2026-09-20. Source: GeoNames geographical database — global city identity fallback · CC BY 4.0Compare with another city →Average annual temperature
17.1 C
Long-term average including days and nights. Use the monthly breakdown to choose dates; this is not a weather forecast.
Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →Nearest listed airport (straight-line distance)
7.5 km
Straight-line distance to a listed airport, not transfer time or confirmation of scheduled flights. Check the airport serving your actual route before booking.
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: OurAirports — airport locations · Public domainCompare with another city →Seasonal temperature range
6 °C
Data period: 2001-2020. Source: NASA POWER — climatology (T2M temperature; PRECTOTCORR precipitation) · NASA scientific-data policy; source-specific notices applyCompare with another city →South Africa: the wider context
These are country-level figures, not measurements of Cape Town. Use them to compare national conditions; neighbourhoods, salaries and individual services can differ substantially.
See 10 national indicators
Income level — GNI per capita, PPP (gross)
15,600 international dollars (PPP)
Purchasing-power-adjusted national income per person is not a salary or take-home pay.
Data period: 2025. Source: World Bank — GNI per capita, PPP (NY.GNP.PCAP.PP.CD) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Fixed broadband / internet quality
78.4 percent
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank / ITU — Individuals using the Internet, % (IT.NET.USER.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Healthcare / health outcome (life expectancy at birth)
66.3 years
Life expectancy describes population health outcomes; it does not measure the quality or availability of a particular hospital.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →English / language accessibility
100 ordinal_0_100
Data period: 2026-08-30. Source: Wikidata — coordinates, population, timezone, ISO codes, official languages · CC0 1.0Compare with another city →Overall tax burden (taxes + social contributions, % of GDP)
25.9 percent_gdp
Taxes and social contributions as a share of the economy, not your personal income-tax rate.
Data period: 2024. Source: World Bank — Tax revenue % of GDP (GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Intentional homicide rate
43.7 per 100,000 people
Homicide rates are a narrow safety indicator. They do not describe petty crime or the safety of an individual neighbourhood.
Data period: 2022. Source: World Bank / UNODC — Intentional homicides per 100k (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Comparative price level (household consumption)
57.4 (EU average = 100)
Data period: 2025. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — Price level index, household consumption (PA.NUS.PRVT.PLI) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Air quality — annual mean PM2.5
27.7 µg/m³
Data period: 2023. Limited confidence. Source: World Bank — PM2.5 mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Average gross monthly earnings — country reference
484.9 USD/month
Average employee pay before tax and deductions, in US dollars. This country reference is not a city-specific salary or personal take-home pay.
Data period: 2020. Limited confidence. Source: ILO — Average gross monthly earnings of employees · CC BY 4.0 (ILO datasets published from 3 May 2023)Compare with another city →Education system (national)
80.6 points (0–188)
Data period: 2025. Estimate. Source: World Bank HCI+ education pillar (2025) · CC BY 4.0 with World Bank additional termsCompare with another city →Other places to compare in South Africa
What to check before deciding
Comparable figures are not available here for: Distance to nearest mountains (>1500 m); Seismic hazard (ordinal 0 very-low to 4 high); Public-transport provision (ordinal proxy); Distance to nearest sea / coastline; Annual sunshine hours; Monthly rent, 1-bedroom, city centre. Check the items that affect your plans with local providers. They are not treated as zero or as an advantage in recommendations.
Compare Cape Town with other cities
Read the source dates, choose your priorities and keep unavailable values separate from costs you know.
All maintained comparisons →